Top 5 books for reading near the water

At last, summer is starting to creep its warm-temperature tendrils around us,
thawing our cold Minnesotan winter hearts. This weekend, if the weather cooperates, many of us will be taking a trip to the lake, biking along the river, or maybe even sitting poolside.

Let's get you in the mindset of waves, shall we? Here are five books that are set
nearby or written on the topic of water to pack in your beach bag.

Everyone needs a
collection of short stories to pick up and set down at their leisure in
between dips into the lake. This
brand-new release of short stories from local author Ethan Rutherford
is a smart read that is buoyed by playful humor. The comical yet heartbreaking title story
takes place in a doomed submarine full of Confederate soldiers,
who contemplate their unavoidable deaths in the depths of the Charleston
harbor. Another chuckle-inducing tale chronicles rivalries between
teenage boys at Camp Winnesaka on Lake Oboe. Yet another story follows
sailors of the Saint Anna, who are heading toward ice-filled waters.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

A
quick read for those with busy summer schedules,
this classic novella undoubtedly belongs on this list. Written in
Hemingway's trademark stark and simple style, The Old Man and the Sea
follows Santiago, an elderly Cuban fisherman. Santiago is betting on
better luck by putting up a stubborn and painful -- yet heroic -- fight with a
giant marlin that drags him and his sense of worth far into the Gulf
Stream.

By the Lake by John McGahern

McGahern's
quiet novel By the Lake sets its sights on a small lakeside village in
rural Ireland. Taking a slow, methodical pace, McGarhern invites the
reader to get intimate with village's characters and their intermingled
lives. There are sheep and cattle farmers, dramatic gossipers,
womanizers, and more. Following the colorful town's inhabitants for a
year, the book sinks deep into the community's roots, drawing the reader
into the spell of everyday life in Ireland.

Sharks in the Rivers by Ada Limón

Published by
local press Milkweed Editions, Sharks in the Rivers will satisfy any
poetry-loving soul's waterside reading desires. A wonder of nature -- specifically of rivers -- swells up in many of the collection's poems.
Limón infuses each of piece with a sense of deep awe and
deliberate urgency, observing the power of water. She challenges the
reader, such as in the closing lines of the poem "Flood Coming," in which
she advises: Don't run. Open your mouth big / to the rising and hope to
your god / your good heart knows how to swim.

Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters by Mark Dunn

This
quirky, sugary romp of a novel about freedom of speech and expression
is perfect for a waterside read. Nollop Island (off the coast of
South Carolina), the story's location, is proudly named after the author of the saying
"The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog," which contains all the
letters of the alphabet. The island community
spirals into danger and oppression as their increasingly strict council
begins to ban letters of the alphabet one by one (which also start to
disappear from the novel itself). Ella, the main character, is a
loveable and humorous woman who finds a way to stand up to the council.

What books prominently featuring water get you in the mood for a summertime swim (local, or otherwise)? Leave suggestions in the comments.